June 27, 2011

Black Diamond Show for June 27, 2011 -- WNHU and wnhu.net

Here's the playlist and program for today's show, featuring an interview with Louisa Branscomb. Survey and more notes coming soon.....

Artist / Track / Album / Label / Year (Recorded, Released if different) / Notes
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972
• Donna Ulisse / Lonesome Without You / An Easy Climb / Hadley Music Group / 2011
• Roland White / Rose City Waltz / The Road Home, A tribute to Butch Baldassari / Sound Art / 2009
• Chris Thile & Mike Daves / 20-20 Vision / Sleep With One Eye Open / Nonesuch / 2011
• Jimmy Martin & The Osborne Brothers / 20-20 Vision / Early Bluegrass / RCA / 1954, 1969
• Brad Leftwich & The Hogwire String Band / Lost Indian / Rascal Fair / Dark Train / 2011
• Sam Bush / East Virgina Blues / The Road Home, A tribute to Butch Baldassari / Sound Art / 2009
• Joel Mabus / Betsy from Pike / American Anonymous / Fossil / 2011
• Charles River Valley Boys / I Saw Her Standing There / Beatle Country / Elektra / 1966
• Alison Krauss & Union Station / Steel Rails / I’ve Got That Old Feeling / Rounder / 1989
• Louisa Branscomb / Interview / Black Diamond Show / WNHU / 2011
• Dale Ann Bradley with Alison Krauss & Steve Gulley / I’ll Take Love / I’ll Take Love, songs from the Pen of Louisa Branscomb / Compass / 2011
• Claire Lynch with Jim Hurst / I’m Gonna Love You / I’ll Take Love, songs from the Pen of Louisa Branscomb / Compass / 2011
• Cheryl White, Sharon White, & Buck White / That’s What Texas Was For / I’ll Take Love, songs from the Pen of Louisa Branscomb / Compass / 2011
• Dale Ann Bradley and Steve Gulley with Claire Lynch / Surrender / I’ll Take Love, songs from the Pen of Louisa Branscomb / Compass / 2011
• Josh Williams with Dave Peterson / Wearin’ the Blues / I’ll Take Love, songs from the Pen of Louisa Branscomb / Compass / 2011
• Dave Peterson with John Cowan / State Line / I’ll Take Love, songs from the Pen of Louisa Branscomb / Compass / 2011
• Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / Sweet Potato Rag / The Room Over Mine / Rounder / 2008
• Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers / Come on Little Children / Cloud of Dust / GSM / 2009
• Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / The Greenbrier Hop / Drive Time / Crossroads / 2011
• Dan Crary & Thunderation / Long Journey Home, Reuben’s Train / Perfect Storm / Blue Night / 2011
• Fiddlers ReStrung / Deadwood / Roads Well Travelled / self / 2008
• David Peterson & 1946 / Reno Bound / The Howling Blue Winds / Zion Mountain Music / 2003
• The Montville Project / Waltz: Amelia / The Montville Project: 53 Essential New England Dance Tunes / Montville / 2008
• Steeldrivers / Midnight on the Mountain / Reckless / Rounder / 2010
• Herschel Sizemore / Rebecca / Back in Business / Hay Holler / 1993
• Paul Williams / The Best Time of My Life / Just a Little Closer Home / Rebel / 2010
• ShoreGrass / A Waltz for You / In Connecticut / Shaw Family / 2001
• Balsam Range / The Other Side / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home Music / 2011
• The Hoover Uprights / Devil Ate the Groundhog / Known for their Reputation / 5-String Productions / 2006
• Jim & Jesse / Memphis, Tennessee / Y’All Come, The Essential Jim & Jesse / Sony / 1967, 1998
• Jerry Rivers & The Hank Williams Band / Arkansas Traveller / Health & Happiness Shows / Mercury Nashville / 1949, 1993
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972

June 23, 2011

Top Newer Bluegrass Songs: June 23, 2011, as reported to Bluegrass Unlimited and Bluegrass Music Profiles

Below is the report I just submitted, with input from your survey responses, to Bluegrass Unlimited and Bluegrass Music Profiles.

Top Newer Bluegrass Songs
Black Diamond Show, WNHU, 88.7 FM
University of New Haven
West Haven, CT
Period ending 6/23/11

01. The Gibson Brothers / Just Lovin' You
02. Balsam Range / Callin' Caroline
03. The Hillbenders / Red Stains
04. Newfound Road / Handsome Molly
05. The Steeldrivers / Reckless Side of Me
06. Charlie Sizemore / No Lawyers in Heaven
07. Kathy Kalick Band / Where is My Little Cabin Home
08. Grasstowne / Kickin' Up Dust
09. John Reischman & The Jaybirds / Goin' Across the Sea
10. Bill Emerson / Don't Come Around
11. Josh Williams / Blue Railroad Train
12. Iron Horse / Mary's Not in Kansas
13. Alison Krauss & Union Station / On the Outside Looking in
14. Lauren Sheehan / Carroll County Blues
15. Big Country Bluegrass / I'm Gonna Walk the Streets of Gold
16. Sierra Hull / Tell Me Tomorrow
17. Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Untrue Blues
18. Donna Ulisse / Let it Rain
19. Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen / Together We'll Fly
20. Sierra Hull / The Land of Living

Top 12 Albums (based on listener votes for tracks from the CDs)
01. Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother
02. Balsam Range / Trains I Missed
03. Sierra Hull / Daybreak
04. Alison Krauss & Union Station / Paper Airplane
05. Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking for a Home
06. John Reischman & The Jaybirds / Vintage & Unique
07. Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up
08. The Steeldrivers / Reckless
09. (tie) Scott Anderson / Tales from the Swamp
09. (tie) Big Country Bluegrass / The Boys in Hats and Ties
09. (tie) Bill Emerson / Eclipse
09. (tie) The Hillbenders / Down to My Last Dollar

Thanks for your continued support of bluegrass, traditional country music, and WNHU!

June 20, 2011

Playlist for 6/20 Black Diamond Show on WNHU

On today's show, we played a lot more old-time music than usual: two versions of Dunbar, an old version of Wink the Other Eye (played a newer version last week), a track from the new Brad Leftwich CD, and so on. But there was plenty of good Bluegrass, too.

Don't forget to give me feedback on the newer bluegrass heard on today's show. The surveys all include links to samples, where they were available on the day of the show, so that you can remind yourself which song is which. Since it's getting close to time for me to submit my June report to the Bluegrass Authorities (tm), please consider filling in surveys for some of the recent shows, too:


Today's Black Diamond Show will be repeated on the WNHU2 stream at www.wnhu.net on Th, 6/23, from 9-11pm EDT.

Thanks for your support of bluegrass and traditional country music and for WNHU!

Artist / Track / Album / Label / Year (Recorded, Released if different) / Notes
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972
• Bill Evans / New Black-Eyed Susie / Bill Evans Plays Banjo / Mighty Fine / 2001
• Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys / White House Blues / The High Lonesome Sound / 1954, 1973 / fiddle, Charlie Cline; banjo, Rudy Lyle; guitar, Jimmy Martin; bass, Ernie Newton
• Mark Graham & Orville Johnson / Highlander’s Farewell, The Old Shoemaker, Dunbar / The Kings of Mongrel Folk / self / 2005
• The Morgantown Rounders / Dance All Night with a Bottle in Your Hand / The Morgantown Rounders / Banjos for Peace / 2006
• Dale Ann Bradley / Heaven / Don’t Turn Your Back / Compass / 2009
• Scott Anderson / Folsom Prison Blues / Tales from the Swamp / Mato / 2011
• Big Medicine / Dunbar / Pine to Pine / Yodel-Ay-Hee / 2009
• Tony Rice Unit / Birdland Breakdown / Still Inside / Rounder / 1981 / with John Reischman, mandolin & composer; Fred Carpenter, fiddle; Todd Phillips, bass
• John Reischman & The Jaybirds / Troubles / The Road West / Corvus / 2005
• Carpenter & May / Blue and Lonesome / Capenter & May / Violin Shop / 2010
• Lefty Frizzell / You Want Everything But Me / Look What Thoughts Will Do / Sony / c. 1952, 1997
• Country Gazette / Poison Love / Bluegrass Tonight! / Flying Fish / 1986
• Hack String Band / Wink the Other Eye / Kentucky Music, Part 4 / Yazoo / c. 1930, 2003
• Wayne Hancock / Brother Music, Sister Rhythm / Tulsa / Bloodshot / 2006
• The Johnson Mountain Boys / You Done Me Wrong / Blue Diamond / Rounder / 1992
• Michael Cleveland / Bright and Early / Let ‘Er Go Boys / Rounder / 2006
• Larry Sparks with Dan Tyminski & Alison Krauss / John Deere Tractor / 40 / Rebel / 2005
• Laurie Lewis & Grant Street Stringband / Overdrive / Blue Ribbon Fiddle / Rounder / 1989, 1996
• Banjo Dan and the Mid-Nite Plowboys / Brush and Vines / Some Rust… Runs Good / self / 2000
• Rose Maddox / This Old House / Rose of the West Coast Country / Arhoolie / 1981 / with the Vern Williams Band
• Hank Williams / A House of Gold / The Complete Hank Williams / Mercury Nashville / 1948, 1998 / Due to unclear record-keeping, it’s not clear if this demo was made in late 1948 or early 1949. But a version was released posthumously in 1954.
• Bill Emerson / The Grey Ghost / Eclipse / Rural Rhythm / 2011
• Rabbit in a Log / The Old Home / The Marimac Anthology, Deep In Old-Time Music / Rounder / 1991, 1996
• Ricky Skaggs / Don’t Let Your Sweet Love Die / Highways and Heartaches / Epic / 1982
• The Lonesome Strangers / Billy in the Lowground / Classic Bluegrass from Smithsonian Folkways / Smithsonian Folkways / c. 1962, 2002
• Benton Flippen & The Smokey Valley Boys / Sail Away Ladies / An Evening at WPAQ / 5-String Productions / 1984, 2008
• Del McCoury & His Dixie Pals / Take Me in Chains / High on a Mountain / Rounder / 1972
• Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies / In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree / Daddy of Western Swing, Volume 2, Brownie Special / Proper / 1935, 2003
• Fiddlers ReStrung / Appalachian Joy / Roads Well Travelled / self / 2008
• Fiddlers Restrung / Gator Strut / Heroes! / self / 2010
• Brad Leftwich & The Hogwire String Band / Rabbit in the Lowland / Rascal Fair / Dark Train / 2011
• Tony Rice & Norman Blake / Eight More Miles to Louisville / Blake & Rice 2 / Rounder / 1990
• Three Ring Circle / Up and At It / Brothership / Reso Revolution / 2011 / Rob Ickes, Andy Leftwich, Dave Pomeroy
• Kenny & Amanda Smith Band / Why You Do What You Do / Always Never Enough / Rebel / 2005
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972

June 12, 2011

Black Diamond Show Playlist for 6/13/11; WNHU, 88.7 FM, West Haven, CT & www.wnhu.net

Here's the playlist for this week's Black Diamond Show. If you missed it airing on Monday 6/13, it will be streamed again on the WNHU2 stream at www.wnhu.net Thursday at 9pm EDT.

And, folks, it's getting close to time for me to submit my June report to the Bluegrass Authorities (tm). So please, give me some feedback on the newer bluegrass songs we've played recently:

Thanks for your support and your feedback! And, now, on to the playlist

Artist / Song / Album / Label / Date / Notes
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme
• Jim & Jesse & The Virginia Boys / Hard Hearted / In the Tradition / Rounder / 1987
• Foghorn String Band / Wink the Other Eye / Weiser Sunrise / self / 2005
• Warrior River Boys / Be Careful of the Stones You Throw / Sounds Like Home / Rounder / 1992
• Wayne Hancock / I Don’t Care Anymore / Tulsa / Bloodshot / 2006
• Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Gone at Last / Drive Time / Mountain Home / 2011 / EP
• Red June / Run Boy Run / Remember Me Well / Self / 2010
• Big Country Bluegrass / Wreck on the Highway / The Boys in Hats & Ties / Rebel / 2010
• Merle Travis / Walkin’ the Strings / The Merle Travis Guitar / Capitol / 1959
• Tony Rice / Church Street Blues / Sugar Hill 50 / Sugar Hill / 1983, 2009
• Hank Williams / Dear John (alternate) / The Unreleased Recordings / Time-Life / 1951, 2008
• Donna Ulisse / Let it Rain / An Easy Climb / Hadley Music Group / 2011
• Red Allen, Frank Wakefield, & The Kentuckians / Deep Elem Blues / Bluegrass / Folkways / 1964
• Spectrum / Bye Bye Love / Bluegrass Goes to Town / Rounder / 1981, 2002 / Bela Fleck banjo, Jimmy Gaudreau mandolin, Glenn Laws guitar & lead vocal, Mark Schatz bass
• Doc Watson / Banks of the Ohio / Doc Watson On Stage Featuring Merle Watson / Vanguard / 1971
• John Reischman & The Jaybirds / The Old Grove / Vintage & Unique / Corvus / 2011
• Seldom Scene / Mama Tried / Scenechronized / Sugar Hill / 2007
• Sierra Hull / What do you say? / Daybreak / Rounder / 2011
• Scott Anderson / Drivin’, Singin’, Cryin’ / Tales from the Swamp / Mato / 2011 / Song written and sung by his daughter Amanda
• Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys / Clinch Mountain Backstep / Merlefest Live / Festivalink / 2010 / Steve Sparkman banjo
• The Stanley Brothers / Life’s Railway to Heaven / Freight Trains Ride Again / Wango / c. 1965, 2000
• Blue Moon Rising / The Crime I’m Guilty Of / On the Rise / Lonesome Days / 2005
• E.C. Ball / Pretty Polly / High Atmosphere, Balads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina / Rounder / 1965, 1994 / Collected by John Cohen
• New Lost City Ramblers / Pretty Little Miss / Country Music and Bluegrass at Newport / Vanguard / 1963
• Ronnie Bowman / You Don’t Love Me Anymore / Cold Virginia Night / Rebel / 1993
• Flatt & Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys / Don’t Get Above Your Raising / Bluegrass Super Hits / Columbia Nashville / 1951, 1982
• Sam Bush & Del McCoury / Cattle in the Cane / Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza / Acoustic Disc / 1999
• Norman Blake / Are You From Dixie? / Blackberry Blossom / Flying Fish / 1977
• The Hillbenders / Red Stains / Down to My Last Dollar / self / 2010
• Mark O’Connor with Terry Morris, Texas Shorty, and Benny Thomasson / Sally Johnson / Heroes / Warner Brothers / 1993
• Dale Ann Bradley / Rusty Old Halo / Don’t Turn Back / Compass / 2009
• Tut Taylor / Turnaround / Dobrolic Plectral Society / Takoma / 1976
• Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / I’m Leaving Town / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Rural Rhythm / 2009
• Grasstowne / Kickin’ Up Dust / Kickin’ Up Dust / Rural Rhythm / 2011
• The String Fingers Band / Here and Now Blues / Don’t Forget / Railroad Crossing / 2011
• Albemarle Ramblers / Way Down the Old Plank Road / Gentlemen From Virginia / Merriwether / 2010
• Jerry Rivers & The Hank Williams Band/ Cotton-Eyed Joe / Health & Happiness Shows / Mercury Nashville / 1949, 1993
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

June 6, 2011

Playlist: Black Diamond Show, WNHU, University of New Haven, June 6, 2011

Enjoy today's show! Including an interview with Sierra Hull!

Artist / Track / Album / Label / Year (Recorded, Released if different) / Notes
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972
• Alecia Nugent / Wreckin’ the Train / Hillbilly Goddess / Rounder / 2009
• Urban Monroes / Secret Agent Man / Pavements & Pathways / Mountain Sky Media / 2011
• Big Medicine / The Love of Polly and Jack Monroe / Fever in the South / Yodel-Ay-Hee / 2004
• Buck Owens & His Buckaroos / Satan’s Got to Get Along Without Me / The Devil’s Rejects (Soundtrack) / Hip-O / 1966, 2005
• Clayton McMichen & Riley Puckett / Old Molly Hare / The Story the Crow Told Me, Volume 1 / Yazoo / 1928, 2000
• David Peterson & 1946 / In Despair / In the Mountaintops to Roam / self / 2005
• Wayne Henderson & Steve Kaufman / Dill Pickle Rag / Not Much Work for a Saturday / Hay Holler / 1996
• Buck White & Del McCoury / One-Legged Man / Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza / Acoustic Disc / 1999
• Sierra Hull / Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool / Secrets / Rounder / 2007
• Sierra Hull / Interview / Black Diamond Show / WNHU / 2011
• Sierra Hull / Tell Me Tomorrow / Daybreak / Rounder / 2011
• Sierra Hull / The Land of Living / Daybreak / Rounder / 2011
• Sierra Hull / Best Buy / Daybreak / Rounder / 2011
• Sierra Hull / Salt Creek / Angel Mountain / self / 2002
• Sierra Hull / Bombshell / Daybreak / Rounder / 2011
• Lost & Found / Wreck of the Old 97 / It’s About Time / Rebel / 2001
• Ralph Stanley / The Keys to the Kingdom / Mountain Preacher’s Child / Rebel / 1979, 2007 / Charlie Sizemore singing the lead
• Charlie Sizemore / Slow Goin’ / Heartache Looking for a Home / Rebel / 2011
• Merle Travis / Lawdy What a Gal / Hot Pickin’ / Proper / 1947, 2003
• Kathy Mattea / Dark as a Dungeon / Coal / Captain Potato / 2008
• Dirk Powell / Sixteen and One / If I Go Ten Thousand Miles / Rounder /1996
• Chris Hillman / Turn Your Radio On / Way Down in My Soul / Sugar Hill / 1981, 1993
• Steeldrivers / Reckless Side of Me / Reckless / Rounder / 2010
• John Reischman & The Jaybirds / Shady Grove / Vintage Unique / Corvus / 2011
• Lauren Sheehan / Honey Baby Blues / Rose City Ramble / Wilson River / 2011
• Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers / Jubilation Day / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder / 2011
• Ken Kolodner & Brad Kolodner / Liza Jane, Sandy Boys, Hangman’s / Otter Creek / Fenchurch Music / 2010
• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys / Steel Guitar Stomp / Legends of Country Music: Bob Wills / Sony BMG / 1937, 2006
• Balsam Range / East Virginia Blues / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home Music / 2011
• Border Radio / Oklahoma Waltz / Li’l Songbook / self / 2001
• Jim & Jesse / Are You Lost In Sin / Best of the Early Years / Master Classics / 1952, 2009
• Flatt & Scruggs / Shuckin’ the Corn / ‘Tis Sweet to be Remembered / Columbia Legacy / 1952, 1997
• Hank Williams / They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me / Live at the Grand Ole Opry / Mercury Nashville / 1950, 1999
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972